[Differences in injury mechanism and pattern, severity and outcome of multiple trauma patients depending on gender]

To study de prognostic value and the difference between genders in the injury mechanism and pattern of multiple trauma patients.

Prospective descriptive observational study.

Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital equipped with an heliport. Patients. 953 patients consecutively admitted to ICU between 2003 and 2005.

We describe the injury pattern with MAIS of each anatomical region and use Injury Severity Score (ISS) to estimate severity and Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS) methodology to calculate survival probability at admission.

Ratio male:female was 4:1, with a mean age of 38 +/- 16 years. More than 50% of patients were injured in a traffic accident. MAIS1 had a value of more than 4 in 21.3% of males and in 28.3% of females (p < 0.05); MAIS6 was more than 2 in 9.9% of males and in 16.7% of females (p < 0.01); MAIS8 was greater than 2 in 23,8% of males and in 31.8% of females (p < 0.05). Survival at discharge from ICU was 85.5% for males and 76.8% for females (p < 0.01). Mean ISS was 23.9 (23.2 for males and 26.5 for females, p < 0.01).

Gender does not play a role in mortality adjusted to severity at admission. Wo - men are one fifth of all admissions but are more severe and suffer more craniocerebral injuries and these are more severe. There are few differences in injury mechanism and pattern between men and women.